Eastman Guitars AC512

'09 Eastman AC512. Orchestra model. Solid AAA Engelmann spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck. Ebony fingerboard and bridge and bridge pins, hand carved scalloped x bracing, dovetail neck joint, beautiful maple rosette, rosewood body, neck and headstock binding. Bone nut and saddle, nickel-silver frets, MOP micro-dot inlays, chrome Gotoh tuners. Hand rubbed nitro-cellulose gloss lacquer finish. 1 3/4 nut width, a very comfortable "C" shaped neck profile, 25 1/2 scale.

This is where this guitar really shines. Excellent volume, sustain and balance across the strings. This is a mahogany guitar that has a brighter sound than my rosewood Martin, but the depth and fullness are still there. It is a little light on the bass side, but I think that's to be expected on a mahogany versus a rosewood guitar. The mids and trebles really stand out both fingerpicked or flatpicked. I've played a few guitars that have had a little better balance across the strings, namely Martin and Larrivee, but this one is very, very good.

I don't know about the factory setup. I bought this from the Hoosier Guitar Company of Indiana who set up the guitar, and did one of the best jobs I've seen. The finish work on this guitar is excellent inside and out. The top, back and sides are matched up nicely. Inside is very clean, no excess glue to be found. The nut and saddle work are some of the best I've seen and the frets are level and smooth. The Gotoh tuners work very well. There is one small finish flaw on the back, a few very small voids concentrated in one spot. Nothing to get excited about.

From what I see this guitar is built to last. Very solid, well built. The finish might be a bit thinner than more expensive guitars, but the finish on any guitar will wear the more it's played. Taken care of, it should last a long long time.

Eastman provides a lifetime warranty to the original buyer. I've contacted them a few time before I bought this guitar and my questions were answered very quickly. It seems like they do care about their customers.

I've been playing for twenty years, mostly folk, blues, and country. Right now I also own a Martin OM 21 Special. This Eastman is one very nice guitar for the price. In most stores including the internet stores, this is priced at $1036. I got a better deal but believe me, it's worth every penny of that price. I've played more expensive guitars that didn't have the features or the sound that this has. The only gripe I have is that it didn't come with a pickguard, but I'll put one on myself. If it were lost or stolen I'd buy another without even thinking about it. The build quality and the sound are very hard to beat for the price.